Family and friends of two teenagers who were shot to death at a party in Northridge over the weekend are navigating their grief and seeking answers as law enforcement continues to search for the gunman responsible for the deaths.
Video showed a chaotic scene Friday as shots rang out at The Artist Lounge, killing 18-year-old Jaydin Lewis and 19-year-old Kimberly Pastor. Lewis was just starting his senior year of high school and Pastor was raising her 2-year-old daughter before their lives were tragically cut short.
Now, flowers, candles and balloons make up a growing memorial outside the lounge in honor of the teens.
“This shouldn’t happen to anyone, my family, Kim’s family,” said Tara Maxwell, Lewis’ aunt. “We should never have to bury our children. Our children should be burying us.”
“Jaydin, he was just out there to have fun,” she added. “And for him to get shot in the back, he didn’t even see this coming. That was just senseless. It was senseless.”
A vigil was held Sunday in Pastor and Lewis’ memory. Their loved ones gathered as they embraced one another and mourned the young lives lost.
“She was innocent, and she was at the wrong place at the wrong moment,” said Mildred Pastor, Kimberly’s mother. “And they just left a baby with no mom, a 2-year-old. And now she’s just going to be asking, ‘Where’s mommy?’”
The venue’s owner said the event space had been rented by a promotional company that used the space to promote artists who were clients. Witnesses said the party had been advertised on social media.
Details on what led up to the shooting remain unclear. A description of the gunman has not been made available.
